‘Embrace the Challenge’: MCPHS Celebrates the Class of 2026 at Spring Commencement

Graduates gathered at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston to mark the start of their next chapter.

With caps, gowns, smiles, and plenty of Cardinal pride, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) honored 1500 graduates during its spring Commencement ceremonies at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston on May 7. 

University President Richard J. Lessard presided over two ceremonies in the morning and afternoon.

Timothy J. Parker, a 2012 PharmD graduate and the founder of PillPack, an online pharmacy and medication delivery service that was acquired by Amazon in 2018, gave the morning alumni address. Parker discussed how his father, a “pharmacist’s pharmacist” and an MCPHS alum, inspired him to follow in his footsteps. He shared how his journey to entrepreneurial success was bolstered by his early interest in business, and encouraged graduates to pursue what they enjoy.

“The rabbit holes you keep going down, the things that don’t obviously map to a career—stick with them,” he said. “You don’t know which of those ends up mattering.”

The student speaker was Emilie Imbeault, an international student from Quebec and a School of Pharmacy graduate. She spoke about how healthcare-focused education shapes graduates’ professional ethics.

“Our generation of professionals will be asked not only to practice, but to advocate. Not only to treat, but to lead. And I truly believe we are ready,” she said.

During the afternoon ceremony, graduates from eight schools took the stage. The alumni speaker was Megan Brown, PharmD ’12, the senior director of medical access strategy for genitourinary cancers at Pfizer.  “Dedication is what makes you clinically strong. It is what earns trust—from patients, families, and colleagues,” she said. “And dedication is what makes you the person others rely on when things become complicated.”

Brown serves on the MCPHS Alumni Board of Directors with her husband Joel, also an alum whom she met—and married—on the Manchester campus. She shared her story of continuing to pursue her degree after she was diagnosed with cancer at 27, during her second year of pharmacy school.

“It was not easy to remain dedicated to my education. There were days filled with exhaustion, fear, and doubt. But that experience reshaped my purpose. Your setbacks can become your strength, if you learn to reframe them,” she told the crowd.

Colin Nguyen, the afternoon’s student speaker, picked up his second degree from MCPHS. A 2024 School of Arts and Sciences graduate, this time he received a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies. He echoed Brown’s sentiments about learning and growing from obstacles.

“Growth is not always linear; life is difficult, and it always will be. But as you navigate these situations, you’ll soon realize that although life does not get easier, your mind gets stronger,” he said. “With each patient you care for, with every problem you solve, you’ll realize that you are capable of more than you ever imagined. Embrace the challenge with open arms.”